(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of solar panels and more particularly to apparatuses and methods for mounting solar panels on surfaces, including roofs, walls and the ground.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Solar panels can be of the photovoltaic type of the thermal type or combinations. They can be installed as is or contained within a frame. Solar panels must be mounted correctly in order to maximize power production and to prevent movement of the panels from the force of wind. The proper solar panel mounting provides stability and the proper directional and latitudinal orientation for the solar array.
Different mounting systems are available depending on whether the modules will be mounted on a roof, a wall, the ground, or a pole. For mounting on a roof or the ground there are ballast mounts, flush mounts (such as Modular IronRidge XRS available from IronRidge in Willits, Calif.) standing seams mounts, and adjustable mounts (such as those available from Unirac in Albuquerque, N. Mex.). These usually include a tilted rack, firmly attached to the substrate surface, on which the modules are firmly mounted; or brackets of at least two different heights, firmly attached to the substrate surface, to which the ends of the modules are firmly attached.
Such systems are heavy and expensive to fabricated and time consuming to install. What is needed is a mounting system which is cheaper to fabricate and less time consuming to install. Preferably the improved system can be easily fabricated on site or provided as a kit. The inventor has developed two improvements on the state of the art: U.S. Pat. No. 7,814,899 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/038,286, the entire texts and drawings of which are included in this document by reference.
This inventor has now developed another improvement on the state of the art. Development of a solar panel mounting system which is cheaper to fabricate and less time consuming to install represents a great improvement in the field of solar panel mounting and satisfies a long felt need of the solar panel installer and owner.